


1st Day of Cocoa

by InnerSpectrum



Series: Kat's Johnlock Xmas 2019 [5]
Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Family Bonding, Family Feels, Hot Chocolate, Kat's Johnlock Xmas 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-07
Updated: 2019-12-07
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:55:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21699619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InnerSpectrum/pseuds/InnerSpectrum
Summary: John Watson and his sister Harry have an annual tradition that they kept over the years despite their troubled relationship. At least until last year when Harry's mouth placed the final straw on John's back and they broke tradition. With a niece who has never met her aunt in the balance can Sherlock restring the family ties?
Relationships: Clara/Harry Watson, Harry Watson & John Watson, Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Series: Kat's Johnlock Xmas 2019 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1560907
Comments: 13
Kudos: 66
Collections: Kat's Johnlock Xmas 2019





	1st Day of Cocoa

**Author's Note:**

> Kat's Johnlock Xmas 2019 : Hot Chocolate

“The cocoa smells different today...” Sherlock sniffed the air as he entered the kitchen.

“You and your sensitive nose.” John glanced at him as he carefully poured the contents from the double boiler into a thermos.

“It is different. This is my mother’s original recipe. I tweaked it for you and Rosie, and your collective sweet tooth, but this is hers.” John explained, “It’s the 1st Day of Cocoa. I only make it when Harry and I go…”

John had sighed as he poured the excess into mugs and handed one to Sherlock before he sat.

“I don’t know what’s going on with her. I have to admit I am worried.” John explained to Sherlock “I’m ashamed to say with everything that has happened I have not seen her since this time last year. The couple of times I went by her flat she was not home. I have barely spoken to her. I messed up last year, Sherlock. If she does not appear today, I will go to her place and break down her door if that is what it takes. Harry is the only other Watson blood relative that I have, that Rosie has. I have to go, Sherlock. It’s the holidays, I have to try…”

Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes did not have the most caring relationship by outward appearances. In fact, many of their own family members presume the two brothers are estranged from each other. Even after being officially introduced, post his first encounter *cough-kidnapping-cough* with the Iceman, it took the first few months of being Sherlock’s flatmate to see the fallacy in that thought. For all their outward bluster and blunder the two saw each other regularly and John eventually learned enough Holmesian to decipher the hidden language between the two genius to see the level of care they have for each other in their own way.

It was John and Harry who had become truly estranged over the years. The once close childhood relationship began its slow deterioration when their father died. The barely teenage Harriet Ròs Watson was forced into adulthood by taking care of a preteen John and their mother who simply fell apart. It became worse between the two females as their mother fawned over John, her _perfect_ _good boy_ , once Harry was outed as lesbian. Harry was nineteen, and John an increasingly surly sixteen, when Anne Marie Watson died. Harry became John’s sole caretaker until he reached his majority.

John had tried to keep in contact with her even while in the Army, but it became harder as Harry turned more to the bottle, than to her loved ones for help. It had reached its peak once she could not be so arsed to sober up enough to attend his wedding. Or show-up for the birth of her own niece. Or come to her sister-in-law’s funeral.

If John did not go to her flat throughout the year to see her, he would not. With the sole exception for the years John was in the Army, the only time the Watson siblings were guaranteed to see each other was on the first of December each year when they would visit the graves of their parents, both of whom had died in early December.

It was freezing that first year they made the visit. Harry had made their mother’s hot cocoa and brought a thermos to the site. John had nearly cried at the memory. For in the mind of Anne Marie Watson, hot cocoa was strictly a cold weather drink to be consumed only from December 1st to March 15th. It was a running theme between the two siblings on who made the better cocoa, so John brought the thermos in the second year. In the fifth year the semi-drunk Harry forgot to bring the thermos. After that they each both brought a thermos and would trade. It became their tradition.

Nearly a year and a half ago, Sherlock had accompanied John to Harry’s flat to break the news of their relationship to her together, before they went officially public with it. They had brought Rosie with them who had never met her aunt. Harry went on a rant.

“Oh, isn’t it just brilliant, John? Mama wanted me to be the cocksucker. Who knew it would turn out to be her _perfect_ _good boy_? Makes you wonder which way this one will swing? I’m gay, you’re bi, ooh maybe she’ll be poly! _”_

Saying it did not go well after that was an understatement. Though Harry apologized the next day when she sobered, John had not brought Rosie with him when he next checked on her a couple of months later. That fall was the last time he saw Harry. He was so angry with her, that for the first time since he returned home from the army, he did not show up at their parents’ graves that next December 1st and ignored her calls. When he finally calmed down, he had gone by her flat a couple times, but she was not there. She had called a couple of times and she sounded fine, but they still had not seen each other. It was December 1st again as their car pulled up to the cemetery.

Sherlock was at least able to convince John to let them use one of Mycroft’s sedans. They had Rosie with them and did not want to be out in the elements before they could get to a main thoroughfare to catch a taxi.

“I’ll sit with Rosie and entertain her if she wakes up before your return. Take as long as you need.” Sherlock had given him a quick kiss and passed the thermos of hot cocoa as John climbed out of the sedan.

“It’s brick-cold out here. It won’t be long.” John said confidently as he pulled the scarf around his neck tighter and closed the door.

It was a bit of a walk from the car path to the grave site. He felt guilty for not having seen Harriet for over a year. Telling himself it went both ways and that she could reach out to him had not helped. Even so he wondered which Harry he was going to see today: angry Harry, sobbing Harry, or drunk Harry that was a combination of the first two. Or would she retaliate for last year and not be there at all? He was caught off guard and almost walked past the graves when he saw two figures standing there, one of whom carried a thermos.

“Clara?” John called out in surprise.

“Hullo John.” Clara beamed as they hugged, “how ya doing?”

When he last saw Clara, the woman was in tears as she stormed out of Harry’s life. The brunette had told him she would not speak to Harry again unless she straightened out her act and had been clean at least six months. He had not seen his erstwhile sister-in-law in nearly five years because Harry had never gone more than two months without getting pissed. Her presence made him really look at his sister.

It took everything he had to not let his mouth gape at the sight of her. Years of drinking had taken its toll, but compared to how she looked when he last saw her, she looked good! Her complexion was clearer, her eyes brighter, she hair was done, she had on makeup and not for work!

“Surprise little brother!” Harry grinned shyly as she held out her thermos.

“Fuck that! Come here you!” John did not try to hide his joy as threw his arms around his sister and squeezed her tight.

“My god! Don’t take this the wrong way, but what happened?” John finally asked when they pulled away.

“You happened. Or rather you didn’t happen.” Harry explained. “You were the one person that no matter what I did or said, and I did and especially said plenty, you were there John. From the day you were born you were always there for me. _Always_ … And other than serving in the Army, last year for the first time you weren’t. I knew I had truly lost everything then. Clara. You. Everything. Oh, Johnny I’m so sorry!”

The two siblings held each other tight again.

“She came to Baker Street begging for you a week later; you were not taking her calls.” a familiar baritone spoke, and John turned to see Sherlock with a well-bundled, sleeping Rosie in his arms, behind him. “Luckily, you had switched surgeries and I utterly refused to tell her where you worked. Rosie was home sick that day, and Harry had frightened her with her yelling. She caught me off guard when she suddenly tried take Rosie out of my arms… I… I deduced her, John. It was…a bit not good.”

“How a bit not good?” John narrowed his eyes. Estranged or not Harry was his sister and John knew just how vicious Sherlock’s rapier tongue could be.

“Let’s just say I was likely kinder to Vivian Norbury.” Sherlock had the grace to look abashed. “And then I told her to never darken our door in such a state again, that you deserved better.” 

John almost swore, but Rosie was there. He nodded in understanding and looked to Harry.

“She came to me after that. Showed up at my job, but at least waited in the carpark until after hours. She told me some of what Sherlock had said to her. It was…bad. But none of it was a lie.” Clara spoke. “John you were the last string that was holding her together and when it finally snapped, as we all knew it would someday, it broke her John. But it was what she needed. I told her to go home, clean herself up, go back the next day and wait for you. You had to come home eventually.”

“So, I went home, but I was met at the door by a beautiful posh woman in a dark suit already inside my flat. She never looked up from her mobile but said if I was serious, really serious, she could help me. But I had to choose: give up everything right then and there and gain my life and brother back or stay as I was and lose everything forever by slowly killing myself. She could ensure the outcome either way.” Harriet picked up the story, “I don’t know how I knew, but I knew she had something to do with you, Sherlock. I knew this was my last chance.”

“Let me guess, Anthea? Mycroft?” John looked to Sherlock who nodded.

“She took the offer without hesitation, John. Never made it fully into her front door. Never knew I was there.” Sherlock looked to Harriet proudly, “She held out her keys to Anthea and all she asked was to help her live without the alcohol. She would do all the begging necessary for the rest of her days if that is what it took to get you and Clara back into her life.”

“He’s being kind, John. I fell to me knees and begged her then and there to help me. I groveled to a woman I did not even know.” Harriet reached out for Clara’s hand, who took it and held it tight. “Seeing Clara again. Having her speak to me so kindly even after everything I did when we were married reminded me how much I still loved her; how much I did not deserve her or you. That is what losing everything did to me. The rehab was harsh. Facing my truths, my sins, and all I did yet blamed on everyone else was brutal and the forgiveness was amazing. When I got out after my ninety days, I said nothing to anyone, just grateful I still had a job thanks to you, Sherlock. I needed to know for myself that I could do this. That I could be out here, that I could wake up sober with the temptation each day and go to bed sober each night. It’s hard, so damned hard, but each new token I earn helps. Clara called one day in the early fall and we met for lunch. I was in my eighth month when I showed her my six months sober key chain. We’re still working it out, but it is easier with her by my side.”

“It was my idea to wait until today to tell you. You earned such a surprise after all these years. I told her if you didn’t show we’d come by Baker Street, so she could start on that begging.” Clara said, “Thank you for sparing us that.”

“Obviously I knew you would be here, Harry, but John had told me he was fully prepared to break down your door today if you had not shown up.” Sherlock added, as he looked to Rosie who stirred awake.

Rosie turned and reached out for John, or so he thought.

“Aunt Harry! Daddy said I would see you today! I can keep a secret! See?” the little girl squealed, “Where’s my 1st Day of Cocoa?”

“Hey kiddo, here it is!” Harriet took her niece into her arms and winked at her gobsmacked brother as she handed him her thermos. “It’s cold out here. How about we all meet at Baker Street and see who makes Grandma’s hot cocoa better: me or your papa?”

“Sherlock!” John tried to look stern about the subterfuge and failed happily.

“Hmm, there may a been a thing or two I forget to mention these past few weeks, John.” Sherlock smirked at the grinning doctor. “Harry wanted properly to meet her niece, and we did not want to stress you further if Rosie had reacted badly. So I had her meet Harry a little over a month ago after a play date. It took a little convincing because Rosie remembered her, but you two do favor each other. She eventually came around and liked the idea of trying to keep a secret under the promise she gets her own thermos of whoever’s hot cocoa she likes best.“

John kissed Sherlock gently. “How can I ever repay you for this?”

“You can start with the cocoa, as a down payment now.” Sherlock leaned in close and whispered in John’s ear, “then we’ll work out a payment plan for the rest later,” he stood straight and raised his voice to normal again as took a thermos from John, “but it’ll cost you more than hot cocoa.”

“How much more?” John grinned at the man.

“Rosie let’s go! We can leave the men behind and we girls can have ALL the cocoa!” Harry laughed as she snatched the thermos from John as Clara relieved Sherlock from the thermos he held and they started running. 

“All the cocoa!” Rosie cheered, as they ran past, “All the cocoa!”

“Why those female filchers! We’ve been robbed!” Sherlock mocked huffed.

“Thank you for giving me my sister back, Sherlock, but I want my cocoa!” John laughed running behind them. “Let’s get ‘em!”


End file.
